Merry Christmas Darling
by soccerstar11-5
Summary: "And when the love of her life didn't even turn around, instead continuing into the living room and out the door, the first tear fell." Can the magic of Christmas save Rachel and Quinn's relationship?


**A/N: My first ever Glee fic, so please be nice! Just a short little one shot I did for Christmas. Happy Holidays!**

"_Please don't go," the petite brunette women begged as she followed helplessly behind the resolute blonde. "If you take this assignment, you'll be gone for Christmas and New Year's Eve." _

_The plea, however, appeared to fall on deaf ears as the other women continued to trek between the closet, the dresser, and her suitcase. So with a huff of defiance, the brunette carried on, "Quinn, please, I'm begging you. And we both know that is a trait I rarely allow myself to lower to as it is very unbecoming of a lady, however, I am making an exception in this case. That has to mean something." _

_Pausing a moment to close and zip her suitcase, Quinn slowly turned to face the beseeching woman, "Rachel, we've already talk about this. I have committed to this photo shoot. Backing out now would not only hurt my reputation, but it would deter potential future clients from signing on with me. I'm going and that's the end of it."_

_The blonde woman watched as the stubborn gleam began to shine in her girlfriend's eyes. Sighing to herself, she knew this wasn't going to be a nice good-bye as she had hoped. But then, with the troubles the couple had been having lately, she knew she shouldn't be surprised. Snapped out of her reverie by the ever rising voice in front of her, she once again focused on the issue at hand, "What about the fact that you're going to miss the two most important holidays of the year for us? What about our traditions? Don't you care about me at all?!" Rachel cried out dramatically as she glared into equally stubborn hazel eyes. _

_Feeling her ire rising to match that of the smaller woman, Quinn angrily replied, "Don't you dare try and guilt me into cancelling on this job! I could ask the same of you, you know. Are you going to allow your understudy to fill in for you on the performances you have on Christmas and New Year's?!" Quinn asked harshly, chest heaving from the intensity of the fight. But hearing the silence that followed the question and seeing Rachel's brown eyes immediately look shamefully at the floor, the blonde deflated and whispered brokenly, "I didn't think so."_

_The performer watched miserably as the photographer turned to grab her luggage from their large king sized bed. "Please Quinn. I don't know what else to say. Just, don't leave me…"_

_Quinn paused briefly at hearing that plea, knowing that being alone and being abandoned were two of Rachel's biggest fears. But this wasn't about Rachel. It was about Quinn, and her need and desire to do her job. _

_Rachel noticed when Quinn froze for a few seconds when she heard the brunette confess her fears. The young star knew that if there was one thing that could stop Quinn from leaving, it would be those words. But as she watched the blonde straighten up as if to strengthen her resolve, Rachel felt the tears start to collect in her shining brown eyes. And when the love of her life didn't even turn around, instead continuing into the living room, the first tear fell. And with the slamming of their door, Rachel crumbled onto the bed, sobbing. With the sinking feeling that this was the beginning of the end of their five year relationship, the brunette was nearly catatonic for the rest of the day. _

**-GLEE-**

"BERRY! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Rachel looked around to notice every face on her. Quickly looking back towards the director, the diva responded, "Nothing Mr. Hunter, just a momentary lapse. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't!" Barked the tall, pencil thin man hunkered down in a seat several rows from the stage. "Take it from Eli's entrance."

Rachel couldn't believe she allowed herself to get pulled into the horrible memory of her last day with Quinn. It had only been a week, but with Christmas being the next day, that memory was looping on replay in her brain and she couldn't shut it off. Being heralded for her professionalism and perfection on the stage since the day she graduated NYADA and earned her first spot on Broadway, it was imperative that she not allow her personal life to affect her work. So shaking her head slightly before the start of the scene, Rachel resolved to ensure she remained perfect for the remainder of the rehearsal.

Twenty minutes later saw the same scene being re-started for the sixth time. Finally, after only a few minutes, the director stood, frustration from the mediocre acting on stage making it impossible to remain seated, "STOP! Just, STOP! Berry, I don't know what has gotten into you, but you better be glad it's Monday and there are no performances today. Otherwise, Linda would be going on instead of you.

Rachel could feel the flush of embarrassment and anger spread across her cheeks and down her neck as she stood center stage, alone, before the director. "I'm sorry Mr. Hunt-" the brunette tried to say before being cut off by the man himself.

"No excuses Berry. This play is supposed to be a love story. As such, it is fully dependent on your chemistry with Eli. But right now, you're acting more like a suicidal manic depressive rather than a carefree, hopelessly romantic girl in love. You and Eli need to leave, go somewhere, _anywhere_, and work on whatever it is that you've lost in the past twenty-four hours," Mr. Hunter ranted as he paced up and down the aisle.

"But Mr. Hunter, what about the rest of rehearsal?"

"That wasn't a suggestion. Leave. And I want you both back here four hours before the show so that I can determine if you or your understudy will be performing."

With bowed head, to appear contrite and ashamed, Rachel responded, "Yes sir," before turning on her heel and storming towards her dressing room. It was one thing to be corrected during rehearsal. But it was quite another to be publicly sent away, with the threat of using her understudy hanging in the air.

The brunette startled as she heard a soft knock at her door. "You ready Rach?"

Quickly looking around to make sure she got everything, the distraught star grabbed her bag and headed towards the door. "Whatever. Let's just go."

With a playful smirk, Eli gently bumped shoulders with the much shorter woman and said with wiggling eyebrows, "So, you're place or mine?"

Rachel couldn't help but smile a little in return as she responded, "While I appreciate your comedic relief, I fear that I am unable to reply with any similar banter. I am simply not in the mood."

Deflating a little, the handsome co-star replied, "I noticed. What's going on with you Rachel? I've never seen you like this before. I'm worried."

"If it's all the same to you, I would rather not delve into my personal life at the moment. We need to address, and remedy, the current problem of my apparent lackluster performance." The slight clinching of her jaw and the balled fists at her sides did not go unnoticed by Eli. However, after hearing her respond, the man wisely avoided the subject.

"Understood. However, we really do need to decide where we're going to rehearse."

Rubbing her fingers into her forehead as though it would help fend off her growing headache, Rachel said, "I guess we can go to my apartment. It's closer and I am in the need of some headache medicine anyway."

So the two co-stars walked towards Rachel and Quinn's apartment in comfortable silence. But with each passing Christmas decoration, Rachel felt her head pound more and more. And by the time they passed Rockefeller Center with the giant tree and the skating rink, the brunette could feel each heartbeat as though it originated in her brain.

**-GLEE-**

"Let's do the scene by the lake one more time. Then I think we can call it quits," Eli said as he went to his mark on the opposite side of the room.

"The 'first kiss' scene? We've done that one a hundred times already," Rachel complained as she reluctantly made her way to her own spot.

"I know. But it's also the scene that you botched so badly that Hunter sent us away. So he's probably going to want to see this one tomorrow before the show," Eli reasoned from his side of the room.

With a peevish eye roll, the brunette began the scene, knowing Eli was right. Several minutes later, the song ended and the waltzing stopped, culminating in the dramatic and touching first kiss between the two characters. And per director's orders, this kiss was not meant to be tentative or shy, as so many first kisses usually are. No. This was a kiss of two people in love and kept apart by circumstances outside of their control for weeks, months, years, lifetimes. And the passion in the kiss required that it reflect such forbidden love. So the heated kiss was meant to remain as such for several dozen seconds.

"What the hell is going on Rachel?!"

Rachel spun around, a shocked looked plastered on her face, "Quinn?! What are you doing here?"

Quinn stood in the entrance to the living room, luggage dropped hastily about her feet, and a furious expression across her delicate features. "I came home to surprise my girlfriend for Christmas. Now I'll ask again, what the _hell_ is going on?"

Rachel gulped noisily as she stood wringing her hands nervously in front of her. This wasn't a 'yell at the top of my lungs so you know I'm mad' Quinn. This was a 'furiously glare and speak in a menacingly and falsely calm voice because I'm jealous and hurt' Quinn, which was much more lethal. But before she could say one word, she heard Eli cough behind her before saying, "Maybe I should just leave."

Quinn directed her steely gaze, the one she perfected in high school, at the handsome performer, successfully riveting him to his spot. "You're not going anywhere, Eli. You can stand right there while I listen to my girlfriend try to explain why she's standing in _our_ living room, in _our_ apartment, making out with her male co-star. Who also just happens to be the only known straight man in the theatre business." Returning her glare back to Rachel's terrified eyes, Quinn continued, "So? Let's hear it Rachel."

The brunette gazed longingly back into the hard hazel eyes. For the last week, all she could think about was having Quinn back. But it wasn't supposed to be a reunion like this. They were supposed to meet at the airport, run into each other's outstretched arms, and embrace and kiss as though it had been years since they'd seen each other. Or, at least, that was one version that Rachel had thought up. But instead, she was standing, staring into Quinn's angry eyes. But as Rachel looked longer into those hazel orbs, she could see past the first layer of anger, and what she recognized was pain and hurt. The same pain and hurt that she had been living with since the blonde had walked out.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel began, "We were rehearsing. I've been performing like an untrained eight year old in her first play, thus affecting my chemistry with Eli. Consequently, Mr. Hunter banned us from rehearsal and advised us that if we didn't practice on our own to regain that chemistry, he would put in my understudy to perform tomorrow. As you are aware, I hate Linda, and could not allow her such a victory. Nor could I allow my reputation to suffer such a devastating blow as to be replaced like a flat tire. Anyway, that's when you walked in. It was just rehearsing," the young star finished in almost one breath. Rambling and talking fast, especially in situations of high stress, had always been one of her habits.

Quinn narrowed her eyes suspiciously before responding, "You never perform badly. Even when you're sick, or you're hurt, or something unexpected happens, you still perform perfectly."

"Well, my girlfriend has never left me before. I've never experience heartbreak like what I've felt for the past week. I've never been uncertain about a future with the love of my life. Forgive me for not being able to work through that," Rachel cried as tears started to fall down her face. The emotional burden that she had shouldered finally became too much to bear.

And just before the small star fell to the ground, Quinn rushed forward to wrap the brunette in her strong arms. The blonde guided the crying diva to the sofa rather easily as the small woman put up no fight. The couple slid to collapse onto the cushions, one clinging desperately to the other while the other realized that coming home was the best thing she had done in a while.

Neither woman noticed the man creep out of the room, nor did they hear the front door open and close softly.

After what seemed like mere seconds, Quinn felt, rather than heard, Rachel's sobbing slowing until only soft sniffling remained. In that time, the blonde reflected on everything Rachel had said. Sure, she wasn't too happy to walk in and find her girlfriend in a heated kiss with another man, but the young star's explanation made sense. And while Rachel usually was the epitome of perfection in her job, almost obsessively so, Quinn could also tell that the brunette had been telling the truth if for no other reason than the sobbing woman she held in her arms. Rachel was never much of one to appear weak in front of others, even Quinn. So when the small woman broke down, Quinn knew the situation was much worse than she had originally assumed.

Knowing the comfortable silence couldn't last forever, the blonde decided to be the first to break it. So lifting Rachel's head until the singer's delicate face was cradled in her gentle hands, the photographer used her thumbs to softly remove the wet tear tracks that remained. And once her hazel eyes met the brown ones of her girlfriend's, Quinn began, "I'm so sorry Rachel. I didn't mean to accuse you of cheating, but you know how jealous I get, and how irrational I am when I am acting out on that jealousy. Forgive me?"

Not trusting her voice, Rachel simply sniffled once again and nodded her head. Fearful that the presence of her girlfriend was just a dream, Rachel chose to forgo talking altogether for the moment and instead she went back to burying her head in Quinn's neck, wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde's small waist, and closing her eyes to just enjoy the feeling of being in the photographer's arms once again. It was a feeling she didn't think she would ever be able to experience again.

When Rachel clung to her body once more, Quinn didn't fight it. She simply wrapped one arm around the petite girl's back and lifted her other hand to tangle in the chestnut locks tickling her nose. She could just sit here for a little while longer before she had to start putting her plan into motion. Besides, she knew the comfort was something they both needed from each other.

But after holding tightly onto each other for nearly half an hour, the blonde finally pulled away and cupped the singer's face once more. Before she could utter a single word, Rachel beat her to the punch, "Why'd you come back Quinn?"

It was the question she knew Rachel would ask first. And it was the question she was prepared to answer. So without hesitating a single second, Quinn explained, "I came back for us Rachel." Seeing the quizzical look pass over the brunette's face, she knew she needed to explain more. So with Rachel's face still cradled in her hands and with her hazel eyes oozing love and begging forgiveness, Quinn continued, "I came back because I can't bear the thought of losing you just because I'm trying to prove some stupid point about who sacrifices what and who has a more important job. It doesn't matter. None of it, nothing in this world, matters unless I have you. So I took the next flight out of LA and got back home, back to you, as quickly as I could."

Hearing Quinn's heartfelt words and knowing the woman meant every single one of them, Rachel felt herself smile for the first time since the blonde walked out of their apartment a week prior. And in that moment, she knew they would be okay. Going against her nature (she had grown quite a bit since high school and since dating Quinn), Rachel let go of all the grudges and hurts between the two of them. Instead, she, like she knew Quinn was going to do, was going to focus on mending their relationship and getting back to being the epitome of the perfect couple.

Now it was Rachel's turn to reach up and grab Quinn's face. But rather than cradle the blonde's face, she pulled the photographer forward until the two women met in a tender kiss. The affection, forgiveness, and love they had for one another was conveyed in that touch as hands tangled in hair and lips moved in the kind of synchronized familiarity that only comes from years of time together.

Breaking apart, the two women rested their foreheads together with eyes still closed, and just enjoyed being reunited. But after a few brief moments, Quinn cleared her throat and said, "I actually have some plans for the rest of the night if you're up for it. I know you have to perform tomorrow, but I thought we could spend Christmas Eve together, like usual."

Hearing that there was now a possibility of some Christmas Eve festivities, Rachel sat up and clapped her hands excitedly a few times before exclaiming, "Of course I'm up for it! What do you have planned on this merriest of Christmas Eves?!"

Chuckling at how quickly Rachel could switch into her overly cheery, excessively excited mood, Quinn felt the little bit of remaining ice around her bruised heart melt. This was the woman she had fallen in love with and she had been missing. "Actually, it's a surprise. All I'm going to tell you is to dress warm because we'll be outside walking around for the rest of the day and into the night."

And despite her excitement of a surprise, make-up date Quinn planned for her, Rachel felt herself deflate just a little. She had moved to New York for Broadway. And after she had seen all the tourist sights and she passed them on a daily basis, she didn't much enjoy doing the whole outdoor date thing. She would have much preferred if Quinn had planned a romantic evening at a swanky New York restaurant, or something of the sort. But at the same time, she couldn't find it in herself to be truly disappointed, because her girlfriend cancelled the 'all important' photo shoot just to fly back home and surprise her with a romantic Christmas Eve date. Realizing this, Rachel quickly jumped up from her spot on the sofa and exclaimed, "Seeing as you're already adequately prepared for an evening out in the frigid New York air, I am going to freshen up, don my most adorable winter attire and I will meet you back here in approximately ten minutes."

Quinn couldn't help the large smile that spread across her face as she watched her adorable girlfriend disappear into their shared bedroom. She knew Rachel wasn't the fondest of outdoor activities, but she had a feeling that tonight would be a rather large exception.

**-GLEE-**

Quinn felt Rachel sigh for the umpteenth time beside her. The tiny woman had one arm looped through the blonde's own with her other hand also resting on Quinn's arm. The photographer just smiled and placed a quick kiss to the top of the brunette head of hair before turning back to the phone in her left hand, out of the nosy eyesight of her girlfriend. "I mean honestly Quinn, what is the point of a romantic Christmas Eve date if you're going to be on your phone the entire time and not paying an ounce of attention to your lonely girlfriend?"

The blonde simply pocketed the phone before responding with a smirk at Rachel's ever present dramatics, "Sorry darling, but it was of the utmost importance."

The young star couldn't bring herself to be upset with Quinn when she heard the term of endearment roll off of her tongue so nonchalantly. With her heart warming at the sound, Rachel smiled when she saw they were quickly approaching Central Park. A quick ride on the Subway had the brunette confused as to where they might be going. But as the couple approached the park, Rachel couldn't help but become excited. Central Park was lovely when decorated for Christmas time, so naturally it was one of her favorite places to go during the holidays.

Rachel lost herself gazing at the different lights strung to the trees and the twinkling backdrop of the New York skyline illuminated at night. So when Quinn pulled them to a halt, she was shocked to discover how deep into the park they had walked. And even more shocking with the picnic that she suddenly found sprawled at her feet. With a quick look up at Quinn, the singer found the blonde grinning at her with a sparkle in her twinkling hazel eyes. "How did you do all of this?" the singer finally managed to whisper after looking back down at the spread below her.

"I made poor Pierre, my new assistant, do all of this. That's why I was on my phone earlier. This was what was so important," Quinn responded as she removed Rachel's hand from clutching her right arm.

The brunette turned to face Quinn as the blonde held both of her hands in each of her own. Following hazel eyes upward, Rachel noticed the mistletoe hanging from a low tree branch right above them. Looking back down and smiling a megawatt smile, the brunette leaned forward, hands still clasped between the couple, and strived to convey the appreciation and love she felt in that moment into the tender kiss.

When the two broke apart, Rachel was finally able to get a good look at the scene around her. That's when she realized that it was almost an exact replica of a similar date the two shared five years ago. The only difference being the blanket spread across the cold ground. Aside from that, everything else was the same. The same cheap champagne sat poking out of the same beat up picnic basket. The same plastic champagne glasses, probably bought at the closest convince store, sat waiting to be filled. And the same mistletoe hung from above, already doing its only duty.

When Rachel looked back into the eyes of her girlfriend, Quinn saw the tears of happiness collecting there and sparkling in the lights from the nearby tree. Quickly lifting a hand to brush away the slowly falling tears, the blonde whispered lovingly, "No more tears tonight darling. As I can see you noticed, this is almost an exact replica of a particular date we shared five years ago today. And on that night, I made the best decision of my life when I asked you to be my girlfriend. That was such a magical night, with the frigid air, the twinkling lights, and the world at our feet, waiting for us to explore it together. I remember feeling invincible when you said 'Yes.' I honestly thought that nothing could make me happier than to see you smile at me every day and to know that I was the one who made it happen. Life seemed so easy and simple then.

"But we've both grown so much in the past five years. And when I was in LA, knowing I would miss our anniversary, I realized that all of that growing hasn't necessarily been together. But that's also when it hit me. We're both going to grow and change in the future and become different people from who we are now. Just as we're very different from who we were five years ago. And just as that Quinn was in love with that Rachel, I am in love with you, with this Rachel, changes and all. I know, in my heart of hearts, that I will continue to love you from here until eternity ends. Because that is the definition of a soul mate. Our souls, our hearts, were put on this Earth to love each other. And whether we grow into different people or whether we stay the same, that will never change."

Pulling her hands free from where they still held Rachel's, Quinn reached into her coat pocket to pull out a small blue box with Tiffany & Co. etched onto the top. When the blonde went down onto one knee and finally looked up into the watery eyes of her girlfriend, she felt tears coming to her own hazel orbs. Taking a steadying breath, the photographer continued, "I've had this ring for a long while now, and after our recent fight, I didn't think I would be doing this so soon, if at all. But I can't imagine my life without you by my side. Even if we're fighting, laughing, crying, or content, I know that I always want you to be the person I look to for strength. And I always want to be the person you lean on for support when times get hard. So, I want to ask you another question tonight Rachel, much as I did five years ago. My heart is, and has always been, yours. Rachel Barbara Berry, will you marry me?"

Rachel couldn't hold in her emotions any longer. The entire time the blonde was talking, all she heard, all she saw, all she felt, was Quinn. With a watery smile, and tears streaming down her face once again, the singer couldn't find all the romantic words she wanted to say. For once, Rachel Berry was rendered speechless. Instead, all that came to mind was a simple "Yes," which she repeated over and over while nodding her head to reaffirm her positive answer.

With joy she didn't think possible to possess, Quinn slid the sparkling Tiffany diamond ring onto Rachel's trembling finger. If the trembling was because of the cold, or because of the proposal, she wasn't sure. But once the large diamond ring was in place, Quinn rose from the ground and embraced Rachel tightly around the waist, picking her up to spin several times in their secluded spot amongst a grove of decorated and twinkling trees. Finally putting the petite diva on the ground, the two women smiled softly at each other before kissing once more, this time a bit more passionately, beneath the ever present mistletoe.

When the newly engaged couple finally broke apart, they knew the moment couldn't get any more perfect as the first snow of the season began to fall around them. Rachel looked into loving hazel eyes as she whispered, for fear that a loud voice would ruin the moment, "I love you, Quinn. To the moon and back."

"I love you until the last star shines in the nighttime sky. Merry Christmas, Darling," Quinn whispered softly into Rachel's ear. As the two women stood swaying softly to music only they could hear, they knew they could weather anything the future had in store for them so long as they had each other to lean on.

And with that, another magical Christmas Eve was added to the ever growing list of special times together. Both women knew, in the depths of their souls, that many more were to follow.

_**fin**_

**A/N: So let me know what y'all think about this! I meant to have it out on actual Christmas day, but family festivities went a little long. Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed and I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! **


End file.
